Press X to start.

Just like the start of a new video game, there was a bit of apprehension as I talked to my wife about switching careers. Now most people would not think that to be a big deal, but the kicker is I am almost 40. I am not talking like almost when you think 35 is “almost” 40. I mean just a hair over one month, looking down the barrel of 40.

I went to college and got my B.S. in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on counter-terrorism. I loved my classes but I was an older student and my advisor failed to mention that at my age it would be hard to find a job with the government due to the mandatory retirement ages. All was not lost. I took what I learned and got a job as a communications officer with Lexington 911. The job was not bad, but I was working 12-16 hour days. Being a newlywed, it was a strain on my marriage. After several years, I had reached a point where I needed a change and wanted to do something that would allow me to spend more time with my wife; so I took a job in the insurance world. The hours are good but I still felt that I could be doing more. I have a good friend, Nick, that has been coding for years and I talked to him about it. The more we talked, the more I felt that coding might also be a good fit for me.

So, I talked it over with my wife and she agreed that this could be a good career for me. Now, I have zero experience when it comes to programming; so I have done some research and started learning to code at Treehouse.com. This will be my story, my place to share my experience. The joys and pitfalls and everything in between.